Category Archives: Ale

Glaveston Island Brewing – Growlers

One month ago I was working near Sweeny, Texas and loaded up my kayak to fish East Matagorda Bay. I really wasn’t working on Friday the 1st of May. I drove down early,  a 3:30 AM Kingwood, TX , departure. I wound up launching about midway down the road from the Intercoastal Waterway and east of the Colorado river.

Launched along the western edge of the bay about midway down.

Launched along the western edge of the bay about midway down.

Beautiful day for fishing, no wind, clear skies, yes dear, I did have my hat and sunscreen on, I had  the waters to my self- wonderful!.  I caught a number of small Redfish, no keepers and too many stingrays! It is tough to see on the map but there are narrow channels from the launch site to the bay. I noted a reference point of big yellow house for my return paddle. Didn’t work out so well! I had turned down the brightness on my iPhone so I couldn’t see “caca” on the map. After paddling blindly for about an hour, I made the darkest pocket I could and finally located the brightness button and discovered that I was in the wrong channel….I already knew that but now I could find the right channel. Salt marsh grass doesn’t grow to tall but in a kayak it might as well be a forest.

Loaded up the kayak and headed to the Sweeny worksite, a celebration luncheon was planned and the pork chops were magnificent! I gave my speech, chowed down and took the long way home via Galveston Island. Bet you were wondering if I would get around to talking beer!

Ah, sit on the stool in the taproom and savor some excellent beers. Met a young couple from Phoenix that were house hunting in the Woodlands Area north of Houston. They liked the area but…..while house hunting they got a call and were told to shift house hunting locations. Start looking on the East Coast in, –  Virginia….Wow…The deserved a good Galveston Island beer.

Now the part about growlers. My wife was off helping out with family matters in California so I decided a half gallon of Excelsior IPA was my choice to bring home and enjoy. Growlers can hold up well for 36 hours or so if kept tightly closed. I brought the growler home and promptly forgot about it……Today, June 4th I was cleaning out the second fridge to make more room for beer and pulled out the growler intending to dump it….well past it’s expiration time. I opened the top and some CO2 gas escaped…a good sign. I grabbed  a cold frozen 8 ounce beer glass and poured one. Nice head on the beer ….. Nothing better than good…… yes- slap me Hun, I couldn’t help it. My son Ben was there and he sampled it…”good, but grapefruity” he said. Perfect….that is what I expected from Excelsior! I pulled a pint glass out and poured one for me. The second pint was wonderful with a nice frothy head so as I typed I had number three.

So much for the 36 hour idea…..

Ben's little glass of beer next to the growler.

Ben’s little glass of beer next to the growler. Honey bucket in the background, bottled 20 pints of honey today. About 30 lbs. An Ale using MY honey is in the planning stages.

So…I don’t plan on finishing the growler. I have out a call for help amongst the local IPA crowd.

PS – I am a big ole boy and can crush your hand when I shake it….I couldn’t twist off the cap….Had to break out the cap removing tool! That may explain the freshness after a month!

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop

https://www.facebook.com/GalvestonIslandBrewing

Karbach’s Hopadillo Helps Make Awesome Burger

This is less about the beer but I had to use something to make these awesome and over the top burgers.

Ready for the grill - recipe somewhere below.

Ready for the grill – recipe somewhere below.

Ok, how does Karbach factor into this post? See photo below. The burger started off as a 10 ounce lump of 80/20 ground beef. In order to make a pocket in the lump for stuffing I had to use something. Grilling requires a beer in hand so, I used one of my very favorite beers in a can.

The Hopadillo makes a perfect pocket for stuffing and then can help me with the grilling process!

The Hopadillo makes a perfect pocket for stuffing and then can help me with the grilling process!

Now once the pocket has been made I can start to add the yummies. Jimmy Dean pure pork Sage sausage, grilled onions, peppers – yellow and orange, Vermont Ultra sharp grated cheddar, Sweet Baby Rae’s BBQ sauce, mince garlc and the meat seasoned my secret way…… for a fee I will release the ingredients.

My very large skillet simmering away just waiting for proper placement in the pocket.

My very large skillet simmering away just waiting for proper placement in the pocket.

Karbach small tour glass holding the amazing elixir of life….yes, a worn out cliché but I still love it, ready to be stuffed and then wrapped in bacon.

The possibilities are endless. I had mushrooms and a corn salsa to use but forgot to use both!.

The possibilities are endless. I had mushrooms and a corn salsa to use but forgot to use both!.

Ok, now the mouth watering work of putting them together and grilling. I used indirect heat and it took about 45-50 minutes for them to cook through..

On the grill and ready for the heat!

On the grill and ready for the heat!

I  only made 3 this go around and they were inhaled. My son ate one and then a conventional burger, my wife ate hers sans bun. I placed mine on a bun and inhaled it before realizing that I failed to add red onion slices, tomato, lettuce and the corn salsa. Gotta do this again! Maybe I can get another Karbach to help on the next batch, Rodeo Clown or Weekend Warrior….so many wonderful choices. One beer wasn’t enough for the grilling session so – I had one of my beers, the “Yes Dear, Raspberry Wheat Ale” and then a New Belgium Ranger IPA.

Check the video out  –  this is where I picked up ideas for my version….endless possibilities!

Drink Local and Drink Resopnsibly

Bishop

PS…..the recent hiatus is due to many excuses that don’t really hold water. I have not disappeared – just wafting about in the cloudy murkiness of excuses.

Ahhhhh – Sunday in Williston

I do spend a lot of time in North Dakota. I have bills to pay, beers to drink and an almost twenty year old still attending college. Don’t get me wrong, I work because I want to and the work I do is very satisfying! 

The only problem with work other than the obvious, missing my partner and wife, is that it gets in the way of my hobbies, Home brewing is one of several at the top of my list. Beekeeping is relatively new but It gives me a buzz! Ok bad joke! Organic gardening, wood turning, less fishing than it should be and my bicycle is craving more miles. 

I am enjoying a Hopslam IPA as I ponder these important matters. Wow, Bell’s Brewery has put out a really great beer. This is one of the top 10% of my top 117 beers! Don’t ask me to list them, just trust me – the check is in the mail, etc – etc! 

Probably less beer drinking this trip and more time in the gym. My annual physical is in late April. The doctor got on me about my winter coat last year and I wore it all summer and may have added to it this winter. There is a slight temptation to switch to Coors Light! Nah- moderation Bishop, moderation! 

Williston does have a great workout facility so, unpack bags and get my sorry butt in gear. 





A few of my drinking buddies from my January trip – not real sociable but -5 degrees F  is no problem for them. Taken at Teddy Roosevelt National Park on February 1 with my Nikon D600 and my Nikon 80-200 2.8 lens. 

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop

#hopslam

Hollister Brewing Company

My middle name is Bishop and for nearly 64 years that has been my moniker. That said, my first choice with my Red Curry Fish Stew was “The Pope IPA” . The menu calls it a full bodied West Coast IPA. It was pleasant,  but well short of being on my favorites list. 

I will try the HBC Cask Conditioned Ale with the stew!

 Ah, much nicer! The cask conditioned ale is their Wheelhouse Stout, a bit heavy as a  pairing for the stew but what the Hell, I like it and that is all that matters! The beer was damn near perfect- just a whisker below room temperature with a perfect, frothy and persistent head! Bite your tongue Bishop and “silencio por favor”!

Beer number three will be elsewhere. Maybe Stearn’s Wharf! The Figuera Brewery is walking distance. 

My beautiful beer drinking companion on this trip sampled the “Coastal Common” and wished she would have ordered the “Beachside Blonde”- it was one if those I told you so moments but, again I bit my tongue. It was a bit bit like an Anchor Steam – good,  but not in her wheelhouse. My thoughts as I drank a third of it was yummy, but not in my top 100! 





The Red Curry Stew did go well with the heavy Wheelhouse Cask  Aged Stout. It helped that I ate part of my wife’s burger with it! Her comment, “Well, we probably won’t come back here!”. Yes Dear! 

Drink Local, Be Selective and Drink Respobsibly! 

Bishop 

It is a Difficult Job Being Me

A beer on the beach yesterday and now I have to sit at a little corner table in the Santa Barbara Brewing Co. My poor lot in life! I am enjoying their IPA while watching a wide slice of life drifting by the window! Beautiful day here in SB.



The brewer, Rick, generously shared the recipe for the IPA. My challenge is to scale back the 1200 lbs. of two row to brew in my 10 gallon mash tun. I have a PDF of the brewer recipe and the Brewers hand written notes in the margin. Sorry, just private for me! 



There is Rick just finishing up…clean up duties are so important. He is a former home brewer gone pro over twenty years back! Ah, dream big Bishop! I don’t think 64 is too old to branch out, do you agree? 

I’ll be back! 10 points for the first person to comment on that famous movie line! I need to add to my list of beers! What next, hmmmmmm, scratching chin and pondering! 



Ok scratch off the India Pale Ale, next the Double IPA. The proir was nicely bitter with great aroma- I’ll give part of the recipe away, Cascade hops! The Double is less bitter but I like how the malt comes through! Oh gosh, I yearn to become a professional beer drinker. Lord knows that I have had practice – albeit some of the prior experience was a lot less structured! 

Drink Local and Drink Redponsibly

Bishop

If you follow my blog and enjoy my sometimes incoherent ramblings, invite a few friends to follow! Maybe I can become semi-professional at something beer related! 

A Little Help at Tax Time

i am sorting through my receipts, invoices, travel expenses and miscellaneous stuff. I am raising my hand to vote for a flat tax! I am certain that it would eliminate most of my headaches! The CPAs’ may hate it but oh well- Too durned bad! 

To aid in the process I am sipping on a new beer, at least for me it’s new.  It is a Sierra Nevada “Beer Camp” Hoppy Lager. Mighty fine! Nicely hoppy at 55 IBU! It is 7% ABV so it is a sipping beer. A six pack would probably result in significant errors! I now have another  favorite for my list. Seems as though my favorites list is getting pretty full!’

Read more about Sierra Nevada’s Beer camp here;

http://www.sierranevada.com/beer/seasonal/beer-camp-hoppy-lager

I took a bottle for a trip to the beach today- I think we both enjoyed the afternoon.



Santa Barbara Channel in the background.

Nearby is Island Brewing in Carpenteria. I have a growler ready to be filled. My wife likes the Island Blonde! Don’t tell her but I’m also kind of partial to blondes! I like their Island Pale Ale and the Paradise Pale Ale and the Blackbird Porter and the Starry Night Stout. Oh – the Avocado Honey Wheat is very tasty too! On our recent visit we were treated to some live music! It was a nice laid back Friday night in the off season. Just locals and a few semi locals, like me and my bride. 

http://www.islandbrewingcompany.com/seasonal-beers.php

I think we will also check out Anacapa Brewey in Ventura on Thursday. I am looking forward to their Pierpoint IPA. 

http://anacapabrewing.com

So many beers and maybe only another 20 + years to work my way through the world’s remaining beers! 

Note: I had my phone battery die down on the beach as I was typing the post.  Apparently the draft was posted! Hopefully I pulled it before it was out there too long! At 64 years young, I am still working my way through new technology challenges! 

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop



A New One for my Favorite’s List

i quizzed a new waiter at the same old place, Williston Brewing Company, about anything new, like beer. He recommended a new a offering from Fargo brewing, Stone’s Throw, a Scottish Ale. He took my order and returned empty handed. The keg blew and that was the last one on hand. 

I told him that a hoppy bottled beer would be fine. He suggested Hopslam by Bell’s Brewing Company. Well, I loved it! Hoppy for sure but balanced. I do think I picked up a hint of honey as well as citrusy hops. Hmmmmm 10% ABV makes you want to be careful. This is the newest addition to my favorite’s  list. 







Beautiful color, nice lace and is served my palate well! 

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop

Wasatch Ghostrider White IPA

It is that time of the month, hmmmmm. Let me start over.

My twice per month client, a small independent oil company in North Dakota, has me enjoying a quiet snowfall on these crazy roads up in Williston. The evenings are mine, the day’s belong to the client.

I am back at the Williston Brewing Company this afternoon to  see what is new on their list. They do have an extensive list but due the frequency of my visits I have nearly exhausted my choices.

Today’s choice is a bottle of the Wasatch Ghostrider Ale. It is a nice Pale Ale brewed with a bit of coriander, not as much as a Belgian Wit Bier, but  just enough to be refreshing. Hops are not overwhelming and just enough of a citrus aroma. The label’s recommended food pairing is “squirrel over an open flame”. The PETA folks must have got to the management and squirrel is no longer on the menu. The Spinach Steak Salad is on the menu and does pair nicely with this beer. I really would liked the squirrel!

With the snow drifting down outside, a Utah brewed beer seems to be appropriate. The Ghostrider image on the bottle fits well with the “Wild West” atmosphere in these parts. Boots, jeans and mud are abundant.

Time to bundle up and walk three miles through the snow……. not really but the iPhone map indicated I might have to! The area is growing so fast many of the roads don’t show up. Case in point, I am a guest at a man camp just outside of town. The iPhone map located the address but the end point was a field and Joyce, the voice on my phone, told me to park and walk the rest of the way. Not!

I found a gravel road that brought me to the destination but the map showed me off-roading! Rooms are primitive but at least I have indoor plumbing and don’t have to share the shower!!!! I have television with a decent selection of channels and of course wifi!

More later.

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop

Never Fear – I Still Love Beer

Travel. travel and more travel! I had a two week stint in Williston and checked a few more brews off of the great beer list at the Williston Brewing Company.

This last week last I was back home in Houston. I enjoyed a pint or two of my my homebrews. So very good! I also enjoyed a nice surprise at one of our local eateries, Three B’s Grill in Kingwood. It was St. Armold’s Divine Reserve No. 15, a Russian Imperial Stout. Very, very good! If you can find it, buy it! It will age and mellow over time. My home brewed Russian Imperial Stouts get better and better the longer they sit. I have one bottle that is four years old and last one was sampled 6 months ago, it was simply amazing!

IMG_2606

Great rich flavor and warms as it goes down.

Drink Local and Drink Local
Bishop

Yes Dear Raspberry Wheat Ale is Primed!

I have been a bit slow priming and kegging/bottling this brew. It could be written off to laziness but I would like to say it was due to the multiple and diverse tugs on my scattered brain. 1. There has been a number of football games needing viewing,; 2. We keep the house cool in the winter – 60 F so sitting near the fire in the fireplace feels so good; 3. My son’s dog, a very sweet recue dog loves my attention and walks in the woods; 4. weeds, damn weeds in the garden; 5. Words with Friends is like Crack!; 6. Thoughts of working out – succumbed to the thoughts a couple of times; 7. Sourdough bread experimentation – another yeast related activity – I think will just stop there…

I carved out the time today to prepare. Most of the batch was going into two 6 Liter mini kegs, Iap-a-Draft to be exact and the remainder into 12 ounce bottles. As I usually do, I pulled a sample for checking the final gravity….I had no doubt that it was finished but….just checking. Damn – the hydrometer nearly floated out of the cylinder…..can’t be! How can it become more dense? It can’t – I pulled the hydrometer and the little foam pad was stuck to the bottom. Mystery solved. The chilled sample, 37 F, was 1.011 – plenty good to know that it was done fermenting. Final count, 2 – 6L bottles and 14- 12 ounce bottles.

The taste test from the gravity sample was very nice…..I shared a sip with Mrs. Yes Dear and she agreed. Looks to be a success. Now I need to be patient and let it condition….10 to 14 days ought to be sufficient. Normally, it is required to drink a homebrew while working on a batch, I failed to indulge. I have had a Bomber of Karbach Black Hopadillo IPA in the fridge for months now, just begging for my attention, so . Damn good! that is second use of the word Damn….I’m feeling a bit like Clark Gable!!!!!

What is the next project? My son Ben is wanting a “session IPA”, lower in ABV but still retaining great hops bitterness and aromas. There are some decent commercial offerings that he enjoys. The simple approach would be to find a clone recipe but I think not….I think I may be able to improve on the clone!!!!! Stay tuned…more coming.

The transfer is on...Sourdough starter in the left background.

The transfer is on…Sourdough starter in the left background. I love the carboy carrier straps…makes it easier and less likely to drop it.

My bottled beer and the two 6L Tap-a-Draft bottles.

My bottled beer and the two 6L Tap-a-Draft bottles.

The very nice Karbach Hoppadillo Black IPA. Nice way to end my task!

The very nice Karbach Hoppadillo Black IPA. Nice way to end my task!

Drink Local and Drink Responsible

Bishop